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| Monkey sitting on the boundary separatist forest area from the city area in Haridwar. (Poor photography by Prabhash K Dutta) |
India is among a few countries
where all types of vegetation are found. Total enlisted tree species is about
5,000 in India. An estimated number of vegetation plant species is 15,000. Of
the 500 tree species, only about 500 types are used – both directly and
indirectly - for economic purposes in India.
A large number of tree species is
economically unused and their economic potential is untapped. They are
categorised as wild trees. India’s forest resource is vast and diverse. Its
share in nation’s GDP is about 4.5 per cent (1999). This shows the backwardness
in the context of resource utilisation.
In 1951, forest production in
terms of money was Rs 19 crore. In 1992, resource utilisation of forest was
valued at Rs 3,800 crore. After 1992, India’s timber production has made rapid
growth. India is the fourth (1999) largest timber producer of the world.
Indonesia is the leading producer
of timber followed by Brazil and Malaysia. India’s forest-based economy is
making progress but even then it is meager. Almost all types of vegetation in
India have some economic importance but only a portion is used for economic
purposes. (update – United States is the leading producer, followed by India
now)
Equatorial forest has bright
prospects in economy especially in respect of developing rubber and oil palm
plantation. Presently rubber plantation is developed at large scale. India is
the fifth largest rubber producer in the world.
In the Northeast India, rubber
plantation is being developed under tribal community development schemes. Under
monsoonal forest coverage, several social groups of India depend on forest
resources. Tribal community’s economy is based on forest.
Vegetation under teak, sal, kendu
and khair are put to direct use by tribal population. The largest acreage of
teak is found in Madhya Pradesh. Teak is also the costliest tropical tree.
Largest exporters and producers of teak, sal and kendu are Myanmar, Vietnam and
Malaysia. Teak and sal are used in housing, furniture, railways (also in making
sleeper, general bogie seats earlier) and boat making.
Sal is mainly grown in South
Asia. Kendu leaves are used in Bidi industry. Large number of tribal
communities of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal
depend on this resource for their livelihood.
Khair’s largest acreage is found
in Bihar (including Jharkhand) (1999 figure). It is commonly used as betel
leaves in Bihar. Khair also has medicinal value.
Tribal communities in this part
of the world are traditionally dependent on various kinds of wood for making
umbrella, basket, toys and decorative goods. These items have been sold by the
tribals in the local markets for centuries.
Under Integrated Rural
Development Programme (IRDP), which is a poverty eradication programme, tribal
communities are provided proper training to make better use of leaves of trees
like sal and a structured market is made available to them.
In Karnataka, there has been
greater use of sandalwood in woodcraft industry where decorative goods are
prepared. Sandalwood is used in chemical industry. Wood pieces are also used in
various religious pursuits.
Bamboo and savai grass are two
other monsoon forest products which are used in paper industry. Over 70 per
cent of raw materials of paper industry in India come from bamboo and 15 per
cent from savai grass. Thus, 85 per cent (1999 figures) of the raw materials of
the paper industry come from monsoonal forest.
There has been indirect
importance of forest. Mulberry species are used for domestication of silk worm
or cocoon. This is, thus, possible in monsoon forest. Domestication of lac bugs
for lac industry is done on mulberry trees. Mainly acacia species are used for
lac bug domestication. Even the banyan and peepal trees are used for
domestication of lac bugs.
Lac bugs cannot grow where
temperature is above 20 degree Celsius and below 12 degree Celsius. So, the
conditions are most suitable in south Bihar and Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and
Eastern Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and plateau regions of West Bengal and
Karnataka.
Silk worm industry is dependent
on deciduous forest. Silk worm industry is found even in Manipur, Assam and
Meghalaya. Recently, silk worm domestication is emerging in Kashmir Valley.
Mulberry plant is emerging in the Valley region. Among the Indian states,
Karnataka is the largest producer of raw silk and silk textile.
China is the world leader in silk
production and silk textile followed by India and Japan. In the field of artificial
silk, Italy is the largest producer.
Lac production is highest in
united Bihar. (1999). The National Research Lac Institute is situated at Namkum
near Ranchi. It is the largest collecting and processing centre of lac. India
is the largest exporter of lac in the world. India exports 52 per cent of world
trade.
Himalayan forest is of high
economic value. Siwalik Himalaya is more important economically. Teak, sal,
bamboo and savai grass are of more economic use. Siwalik Himalayas is dense in
comparison to other Himalayan forests.
Another advantage is that it is
of low altitude, so its economic use is possible. In fact, forest-based economy
has developed in Siwalik Himalaya region especially in Garhwal area of
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. In these regions, wood
craft industry is developed.
Lesser Himalaya and the lower
slope of the Greater Himalaya are characterised by temperate and taiga woods.
They are of economic use. Deodar covers 5.80 lakh square kilometers and largest
acreage is found in Jammu and Kashmir. Pine acreage in Jammu and Kashmir is
about 7,380 sq km. (all figures to be verified).
Both deodar and pine are used in
paper and woodcraft industries. Other species of economic use are silver fur,
blue pine and spruce. Spruce is used in paper industry. Greater and Lesser
Himalayas forest resources are nearly unused and they have tremendous prospects
of development. Sustainable development strategy may help in the proper
utilisation of Himalayan forest.
Coastal forest in India is also
of great economic value. Only mangrove is not of much economic use. Three
important tree species – coconut, palm and cane are of much value.
India is the largest producer of
coconut. What is required is to develop coconut-based industries. Coir-based,
copra-based industries should also be developed using raw materials from
coconut forest.
In Tamil Nadu, there is
tremendous prospect to develop palm oil industry. Cane is used for making
fishing boats.
India’s sub-tropical and arid
regions’ vegetation types are yet to be properly surveyed from the resource
point of view but cactus species are being recognized as the potential raw
material for various chemical and drug industries.
Date palm is another prospective
vegetation for economic use. Iraq and Iran produce sugar from date palm. Date
palm vegetation may be developed as a raw material for sugar industry.
Acacia has also chemical and drug
related significance. They may be used for domestication of new
varieties of
lac bugs. They are plants of quick growth and can be used for fuel (where LPG
transportability is difficult for rough and undulating terrain) and fodder
purposes.
It is obvious that the forest
resource of India keeps bright prospect for future development. Presently, it
is in under-developed situation. It may
be developed as an alternative economy for tribal and rural people. Several raw
materials may be collected from the forest. What is required is to prepare a
sustainable national policy for the development of forest resources.
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